God
The Writings of The Bahá’í Faith explain that the reality of God is beyond the understanding of any mortal mind, though we may find expressions of His attributes in every created thing.
Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith says:
“Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His knowledge…”– Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
`Abdu’l-Bahá, Who was appointed by Bahá’u’lláh as the Centre of the Bahá’í Faith after His passing, explains : “Thus man cannot grasp the Essence of Divinity, but can, by his reasoning power, by observation, by his intuitive faculties and the revealing power of his faith, believe in God, discover the bounties of His Grace. He becometh certain that though the Divine Essence is unseen of the eye, and the existence of the Deity is intangible, yet conclusive spiritual proofs assert the existence of that unseen Reality. The Divine Essence as it is in itself is however beyond all description. For instance, the nature of ether is unknown, but that it existeth is certain by the effects it produceth, heat, light and electricity being the waves thereof. By these waves the existence of ether is thus proven. And as we consider the outpourings of Divine Grace we are assured of the existence of God”. – `Abdu’l-Bahá ,Tablet to August Forel.
The Human Soul
The essential identity of every human being is a rational and immortal soul, which is “entirely out of the order of the physical creation.” Bahá’u’lláh – the prophet founder of the Bahá’í Faith, uses the metaphor of the sun to explain the relationship between the soul and the body: “The soul of man is the sun by which his body is illumined, and from which it draweth its sustenance, and should be so regarded.” – Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
The human soul has its origin in the spiritual worlds of God. The individual has his beginning when the soul, coming from these spiritual worlds, associates itself with the embryo at the time of conception. But this association is not material; the soul does not enter or leave the body and does not occupy physical space.
Bahá’u’lláh says: “Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths.” – Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
Purpose of Life
Bahá’ís believe that there is a purpose in the creation of the world.
In the world around us, anytime we observe order, it can be concluded that there is purpose, because purpose is a prerequisite of order.
The purpose of creation according to the Bahá’í teaching is for mankind to know God, our Creator, and to worship Him, to develop virtues and to carry forward an ever advancing civilisation.
The founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh says “…It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.” – Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh
He also states: “The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. To this most excellent aim, this supreme objective, all the heavenly Books and the divinely-revealed and weighty Scriptures unequivocally bear witness. Whoso hath recognized the Day Spring of Divine guidance and entered His holy court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His Presence, a Presence which is the real Paradise, and of which the loftiest mansions of heaven are but a symbol …” – Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
Teaching us that Love is the cause of our creation, Bahá’u’lláh says:
“O SON OF MAN!-Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.” – The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh
`Abdu’l-Bahá teaches us that “In the beginning of his human life man was embryonic in the world of the matrix. There he received capacity and endowment for the reality of human existence. The forces and powers necessary for this world were bestowed upon him in that limited condition. In this world he needed eyes; he received them potentially in the other. He needed ears; he obtained them there in readiness and preparation for his new existence. The powers requisite in this world were conferred upon him in the world of the matrix … “Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so, likewise, the indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially attained in this world.” – Foundations of World Unity
Bahá’i family life, also, fundamentally inspired by the Bahá’i Teachings on the purpose of life so that families as individual unit of the society can better contribute to the well-being of the society. `Abdu’l-Bahá stated that “According to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh the family, being a human unit, must be educated according to the rules of sanctity. All the virtues must be taught to the family.”
Death and Immortality of the Human Soul
In accordance with the Bahá’í teachings, when death occurs, the body returns to the world of dust, while the soul continues to progress in the spiritual worlds of God.
“To consider that after the death of the body the spirit perishes,” `Abdu’l-Bahá has said “is like imagining that a bird in a cage will be destroyed if the cage is broken, though the bird has nothing to fear from the destruction of the cage. Our body is like the cage, and the spirit is like the bird…if the cage becomes broken, the bird will continue and exist. Its feelings will be even more powerful, its perceptions greater, and its happiness increased…” – Some Answered Questions
After its association with the body draws to a close, the soul will continue to progress in an eternal journey towards perfection. Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty.” –Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
The world beyond, writes Bahá’u’lláh, “is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother.”
Just as the womb provides the environment for a person’s initial physical development, the phenomenal world is the arena within which we develop the spiritual characteristics and capacities that we need for our onward journey. Both here and in the next life, we advance with the assistance of God’s bounty and grace. Also important to the progress of our souls in the next world are the good deeds carried out in our names here on earth, and the sincere prayers of our families and friends. Seen in this light, death is not to be feared. Bahá’i Writings refers to it as a “messenger of joy”, also “Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn.” – Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh
Need for an Educator
When we consider existence, we see that the mineral, vegetable, animal and human worlds are all in need of an educator.
`Abdu’l-Bahá explains: “If the earth is not cultivated, it becomes a jungle where useless weeds grow; but if a cultivator comes and tills the ground, it produces crops which nourish living creatures. It is evident, therefore, that the soil needs cultivation of the farmer. Consider the trees: if they remain without a cultivator, they will be fruitless, and without fruit they are useless; but if they receive the care of a gardener, these same barren trees become fruitful, and through cultivation, fertilization and engrafting the trees which had bitter fruits yield sweet fruits. These are rational proofs; in this age the peoples of the world need the arguments of reason.
The same is true with respect to animals: notice that when the animal is trained it becomes domestic, and also that man, if he is left without education, becomes bestial, and, moreover, if left under the rule of nature, becomes lower than an animal, whereas if he is educated he becomes an angel. For the greater number of animals do not devour their own kind, but men, in the Sudan, in the central regions of Africa, kill and eat each other”.
Now reflect that it is education that brings the East and the West under the authority of man; it is education that produces wonderful industries; it is education that spreads great sciences and arts; it is education that makes manifest new discoveries and institutions. If there were no educator, there would be no such things as comforts, civilization or humanity. If a man be left alone in a wilderness where he sees none of his own kind, he will undoubtedly become a mere brute; it is then clear that an educator is needed.
But education is of three kinds: material, human and spiritual. Material education is concerned with the progress and development of the body, through gaining its sustenance, its material comfort and ease. This education is common to animals and man.
Human education signifies civilization and progress — that is to say, government, administration, charitable works, trades, arts and handicrafts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries and elaborate institutions, which are the activities essential to man as distinguished from the animal.
Divine education is that of the Kingdom of God: it consists in acquiring divine perfections, and this is true education; for in this state man becomes the focus of divine blessings, the manifestation of the words, “Let Us make man in Our image, and after Our likeness.” This is the goal of the world of humanity.
Now we need an educator who will be at the same time a material, human and spiritual educator, and whose authority will be effective in all conditions. So if anyone should say, “I possess perfect comprehension and intelligence, and I have no need of such an educator,” he would be denying that which is clear and evident, as though a child should say, “I have no need of education; I will act according to my reason and intelligence, and so I shall attain the perfections of existence”; or as though the blind should say, “I am in no need of sight, because many other blind people exist without difficulty.” – `Abdu’l-Bahá , Some Answered Questions
Religion
According to the Bahá’í Teachings, religion is a spiritual school in which mankind receives divine teachings and progresses in body and soul.
Bahá’u’lláh further explains: “O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men…Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure.” – Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh
Baha’is believe that throughout the ages, God has sent a succession of Divine Messengers, known as Manifestations of God, to educate and guide humanity, awakening in whole populations capacities to contribute to the advancement of civilisation to an extent never before possible.
According to the Bahá’í teachings, God has only one religion that comes to us from time to time, and all the religions of the past are divine in origin. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, explains this view in the following words: “The fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh…is that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are complementary, that they differ only in the nonessential aspects of their doctrines, and that their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society…” – The Promised Day Is Come
We believe that all the Prophets of the past are divine Gardeners helping the growth of both the spiritual and the material perfections of mankind, and protecting the happiness and the civilisation of society.
Bahá’í s believe that the knowledge of the Manifestations of God creates the love of God in our hearts. The love of God is the source of our everlasting happiness.
The harmony of science and religion is one of the fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith, which teaches that religion, without science, soon degenerates into superstition and fanaticism, while science without religion becomes merely the instrument of crude materialism.
According to the Bahá’í teaching, we are now living in a new cycle of human power. This means that we are now living in a new age and we have greater powers and capacities than mankind has ever had before.
Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that all of the previous Manifestations of God, have given the glad-tidings that, in the fullness of time, the Promised One will come, Who will establish peace and unity in the word.
According to the Bahá’í Teachings, all the prophecies of former dispensations have been fulfilled by coming of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, and the chain of prophet-hood has now been linked through them.
Another important point highlighted in the Bahá’í writings is that religion must be the source of unity and fellowship in the world – but if it produces enmity, hatred and bigotry, the absence of religion would be preferable.
The Principle Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith
The Bahá’í beliefs address essential principles which are composed of Central Principles and Social Principles on the themes such as:
The oneness of humanity and freedom from prejudice;
The inherent nobility of the human being;
The progressive revelation of religious truth;
The development of spiritual qualities;
The integration of worship and service;
The fundamental equality of the sexes;
The harmony between religion and science;
The centrality of justice to all human endeavours;
The importance of education.
The dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.
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Environment
According to the Bahá’í Teachings, “the earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” These words of Bahá’u’lláh summarise the Bahá’í sense of world citizenship and commitment to stewardship of the earth. The oneness of humanity is, for Bahá’ís, the fundamental spiritual and social truth of this age. It implies a major restructuring of the world’s educational, social, agricultural, industrial, economic, legal and political systems. Bahá’ís believe this restructuring will enable the emergence of a sustainable, just and prosperous world civilization.
The world reflects the qualities and attributes of God, and should therefore be greatly respected and cherished. Bahá’í Scriptures describe nature as an emanation of God’s will
All things are interconnected and flourish according to the law of reciprocity. This principle underlies the Bahá’í understanding of the way the universe works and the responsibilities of humanity.
Science and technology should help humanity to live in harmony with nature. Science should be guided by spiritual principles, to preserve as much as possible the earth’s bio-diversity and natural order, in a way that ensures long-term sustainability. A spiritually based civilisation in which science and religion work in harmony will preserve the ecological balance of the earth, foster stability in human population, and advance the material and the spiritual well-being of all peoples and nations.
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Heaven and Hell
The Bahá’í teachings state that there is no such physical place as heaven or hell, and emphasise the eternal journey of the soul towards perfection. They explain that references to “heaven” and “hell” in the Holy Scriptures of other religions are to be understood symbolically, describing states of nearness to and distance from God in this world and in the realms beyond.
`Abdu’l-Bahá has said that when human beings “become illuminated with the radiance of the sun of reality, and ennobled with all the virtues, they esteem this the greatest reward, and they know it to be the true paradise. In the same way they consider that the spiritual punishment…is to be subjected to the world of nature; to be veiled from God; to be brutal and ignorant; to fall into carnal lusts; to be absorbed in animal frailties; to be characterized with dark qualities…these are the greatest punishments and tortures… – Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era
Miracles
The Bahá’í Faith does not emphasise physical miracles because they are not considered sufficient proof of anything, except for those who actually witnessed them in person.
Moreover, the emphasis on miracles in past religions led to many superstitious and harmful practices, such as not seeking medical attention or believing in unsupportable, unscientific and irrational fears and legends.
`Abdu’l-Bahá explains that “… in the sight of the Manifestations these marvels and miracles are of no importance, so much so that they do not even wish them to be mentioned. For even if these miracles were considered the greatest of proofs, they would constitute a clear evidence only for those who were present when they took place, and not for those who were absent.” – `Abdu’l-Bahá , Some Answered Questions